COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy was sentenced Thursday in a federal child pornography case.
Daniel Heintz, 39, received 97 months in prison for receiving child pornography. Heintz was also ordered to pay more than $50,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images.
According to court documents, authorities were alerted to messages sent by Heintz on Kik Messenger in mid-August 2020 where he discussed with an Illinois man their mutual sexual interest for children.
The two exchanged images of themselves and of pornography, including child pornography, and Heintz received sexually explicit videos from the man of a girl 13 to 15 years old, according to records.
Court documents state Heintz discussed sexually abusing a minor to who he had access. He discussed photographing the minor when they were asleep and conduct he would commit, as well as abuse the other man could commit, to the victim.
On Feb. 11, law enforcement executed search warrants at Heintz’s residence and his place of employment, the Franklin County Correctional Center on S. Front Street.
Heintz was initially placed on administrative leave by Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin on Feb. 11 and was terminated on Feb. 26.
An examination of his electronics revealed thousands of images of prepubescent minors, some as young as toddler age, engaged in explicit sexual conduct and being sexually abused.
Heintz was charged with advertising for visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
In May, Heintz’s attorney said his client agreed to plead guilty to the receiving charge.
Prior to his termination, Heintz was a non-certified deputy at the Franklin County Jail, meaning he could not carry a weapon or be on patrol. He was hired in 2007.
